Early voting
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Early voting by state
The map below details early voting provisions in each of the states. The states displayed in dark red permit no-excuse early voting; the states shaded in yellow permit in-person absentee voting (an individual must provide a valid reason in order to qualify); the states shaded in dark gray permit neither no-excuse early voting nor in-person absentee voting; the states shaded in light gray conduct all voting by mail.
States with early voting
As of September 2016, the following 34 states (plus the District of Columbia) permitted no-excuse early voting in some form:[1]
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Minnesota
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
States with in-person absentee voting
In some states, a voter may be able to vote early if he or she provides some reason for being unable to vote on Election Day. This practice is known as in-person absentee voting. As of September 2016, the following five states permitted in-person absentee voting:
Note: The reasons a voter may give for voting in-person absentee vary significantly from state to state. For example, the South Carolina State Election Commission lists 16 separate criteria qualifying an individual to vote absentee. Meanwhile, the Missouri Secretary of State lists six. For more information, consult the relevant state election agency or local election official.
- Kentucky (see here for details about absentee voting requirements)[2]
- Mississippi(see here for details about absentee voting requirements)[3]
- Missouri (see here for details about absentee voting requirements)[4]
- New York (see here for details about absentee voting requirements)[5]
- South Carolina (see here for details about absentee voting requirements)[6]
- Virginia (see here for details about absentee voting requirements)[7]
States without early voting or in-person absentee voting
As of September 2016, the following eight states did not permit early voting or in-person absentee voting:[1]
States with all-mail voting
As of September 2016, the remaining three states (Colorado, Oregon, and Washington) used all-mail voting systems, thereby eliminating the need for early voting.
Arguments
Proponents argue that early voting opportunities make the voting process more convenient for citizens, thereby increasing turnout and diversifying the electorate. Demos, a self-identified progressive think tank, wrote the following in support of early voting:[8]
| “ | [Usage] of early voting has recently surged among traditionally underrepresented voters. The 2008 election marked a dramatic increase in early in-person voting among African American and Latino voters. And in Florida, where approximately 50% of ballots were cast early in 2012, African-American usage of early in-person voting has exceeded White usage in four of the five most recent federal elections.[9] | ” |
| —Demos | ||
Critics argue that citizens who vote early may be more likely to make ill-informed decisions. Northwestern University law professors Eugene Kontorovich and John McGinnis wrote the following against early voting in Politico:[10]
| “ | For all its conveniences, early voting threatens the basic nature of citizen choice in democratic, republican government. In elections, candidates make competing appeals to the people and provide them with the information necessary to be able to make a choice. ... Especially in an age of so many nonpolitical distractions, it is important to preserve the space of a general election campaign — from the early kickoff rallies to the last debates in October — to allow voters to think through, together, the serious issues that face the nation.[9] | ” |
| —Eugene Kontorovich and John McGinnis | ||
See also
External links
Additional reading
- National Conference of State Legislatures, "Absentee and Early Voting," October 21, 2014
- The Washington Post, "Political ignorance and early voting," February 11, 2014
- The Washington Times, "ADAMS: Eight reasons for halting early voting" February 5, 2014
- Brennan Center for Justice, "Early Voting: What Works," October 31, 2013
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 National Conference of State Legislatures, "Absentee and Early Voting," October 21, 2014
- ↑ Kentucky State Board of Elections, "Absentee Voter Information," accessed September 7, 2016
- ↑ Jerrick Adams, "Email communication with Mississippi Secretary of State," September 8, 2016
- ↑ Missouri Secretary of State, "Absentee Voting," accessed September 7, 2016
- ↑ New York State Board of Elections, "Absentee Voting," accessed September 7, 2016
- ↑ South Carolina State Election Commission, "Absentee Voting," accessed September 7, 2016
- ↑ Virginia Department of Elections, "Absentee Voting," accessed September 7, 2016
- ↑ Demos, "What is Early Voting?" July 15, 2013
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributed to the original source.
- ↑ Politico, "The Case Against Early Voting," January 28, 2014
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